The iconic girl group TLC consists of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas; but that lineup almost changed at one point.
Chilli revealed in an interview that she was an expendable member of TLC, after all, she herself had just replaced a former member Crytal Jones.
"In the beginning, people recognized Tionne and Lisa more," Chilli recalled, and to make matters worse, when her management found out that she was dating LaFace producer Dallas Austin, they decided that it was enough grounds to replace her.
"I don't think anybody cared about the Dallas thing but Pebbles," the singer said, referring to the former wife of TLC's manager L.A. Reid, Pebbles.
In fact, she was indeed almost replaced, but they just could not find someone that would mesh well with the rest of the girls, which is why Chilli got to stay.
"They were holding auditions to replace me but never saw anybody that they liked," the 52-year-old explained.
'TLC Forever'
This bombshell comes days ahead of the highly anticipated premiere of "TLC Forever," a Lifetime documentary about the rise and fall of the girl group which was formed in the late 1980s.
According to reports, TLC went on to as a trio, which included Chilli, until the tragic and sudden death of Left Eye in 2002.
Chilli did not further comment on what exactly ticked Pebbles off about her relationship with Austin; the couple did however go on to share a child with the producer.
Perhaps TLC's chemistry was truly undeniable that the managers could not find anyone better to replace her; in fact, the singer herself recalled that "the chemistry was immediate" between herself and T-Boz and Left Eye.
The documentary will be released on Jun 3 through Lifetime, and it might be their most explosive release yet.
The trailer left a mysterious and ominous question that left fans bewildered: "How are we meant to fight against the world if we're fighting internally?"
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Girl Group
TLC is known for several chart-topping hits like "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs," "Unpretty," and "Creep."
Their sophomore album "CrazySexyCool," released in 1994 earned them multi-platinum and diamond certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
TLC won four Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Awards, and five Soul Train Music Awards.
Since Left Eye's death, the remaining two members have occasionally performed together as a duo, but they have no longer released music as TLC.
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